>> Stephen: I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE MET GALA THE OTHER
NITE WHERE YOU STOLE WITH YOUR DRESS FOR CLAIRE DANES
(APPLAUSE) >> THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: YOU GOT YOUR BIG BREAK IN 2000 WHEN YOU DESIGNED
DRESS FOURNE FOR NAOMI CAMPBELL.
THIS IS YOU AT 19.
WHAT DOES IT DO WHEN SOMEBODY LIKE NAOMI CAMPBELL WEARS YOUR
OUTFIT?
>> IT'S HUGE.
I MET HER IN SCHOOL IN THE U.K., I'M A NEW YORKER, AND SHE WORE
IT AND THE "NEW YORK TIMES" DID A PIECE CALLED A STAR IS BORN,
ON ME, AND THE BEST DRESS TO HAVE THE SEASON ISN'T ON THE
CATWALK, IT'S BY A YOUNG GENIUS IN TRAINING, YADA, YADA, YADA.
>> Stephen: HOW DIFFICULT TO TALK ABOUT YOURSELF WITH THE
WORD "GENIUS" (LAUGHTER)
>> KILLED IT FROM THE BEGINNING.
IT WAS VERY HARD.
>> Stephen: YOU'VE DONE RED CARPET DESIGNS FOR A LOT OF
PEOPLE.
YOU'VE DONE MICHELLE OBAMA, OPERA.
DO YOU HAVE TO THINK OF THAT PERSON'S PERSONALITY OR IS IT
THE OCCASION THAT LEADS YOU THE MOST WHEN YOU'RE CREATING A
DRESS FOR SOMEONE.
>> EVERYTHING.
I HAVE TO BE A CULTURAL RECEIVE DISH, AND SAY WHAT'S HAPPENING
AT THAT MOMENT?
WHAT ARE THEIR GOALS?
IT'S ALWAYS ABOUT AN EMPOWERMENT OF A WOMAN, REPRESENTING
INTELLIGENT WOMAN, IN TOUCH WITH THEIR FEMININITY AND FROM THERE
WE TAKE IT.
IF IT'S OPRAH AND SHE'S NECKLINE AND WANTS SPARKLE OR OMBREY, WE
WORK WITH THAT.
>> Stephen: WHAT IS OMBREY?
ISN'T THAT SPANISH FOR MAN?
(LAUGHTER) >> NO, OMBREY IS WHERE YOU FADE
A COLOR INTO ANOTHER COLOR.
>> Stephen: WHY WOULDN'T YOU CALL IT A FADE?
>> IT'S AN OMBREY AND IT BECOMES A FAD AND NOT A FADE.
>> Stephen: YOU'RE REALLY GOOD.
YOU'RE REALLY GOOD AT THIS.
I'M NOT SURE I CAN KEEP UP.
THE OTHER NIGHT AT THE MET GALA, I WAS SO BLOWN AWAY WITH THE
DRESS YOU MADE FOR CLAIRE DANES.
>> THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: LET ME GET A QUICK PHOTOGRAPH OF IT HERE.
THIS IS THE PHOTOGRAPH AND MY WIFE I'VEY WHOM YOU ALSO DRESSED
CAME IN RIGHT BEHIND HER.
>> YOUR WIFE LOOKED STUNNING.
>> Stephen: SHE DID.
HE SENT ME BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS TODAY.
WHAT AN ELEGANT WOMAN.
>> Stephen: WHAT A LOVELY LADY.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: I SENT YOU NOTHING!
(LAUGHTER) AND THIS IS THE DRESS, BUT THE
DRESS HAS AN INCREDIBLE FEATURE TO IT.
WHAT IS IT MADE OF?
>> IT'S MADE OUT OF FIBER OPTICS.
>> Stephen: LIKE A WOVEN -- IT'S WOVEN FIBER OPTICS.
I HAVE A SAMPLE.
>> Stephen: YOU HAVE A SAMPLE.
I GO IN ON THE WEEKENDS AND DRAPE.
I TAKE FABRIC, PUT IT ON A MANNEQUIN, BUILD THE DRESS WITH
MY HANDS, VERY OLD SCHOOL.
I WANTED IT TO ELECTRIFY.
YOU CAN SEE THE ENDS.
SO WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT IS LIGHT ON THE SURFACE TRAVELING,
AND WE DEVELOPED THE FABRIC AND HAD TO WAIT A WEEK BEFORE THE
MET GALA FOR THE FABRIC TO COME IN.
>> OKAY.
>> Stephen: AND I WANTED SOMETHING THAT USED TECHNOLOGY,
THAT WAS THE THEME.
>> Stephen: THE THEME OF THE NIGHT WAS TECHNOLOGY.
IS THERE A LOT OF TECHNOLOGY BEING USED IN FASHION NOW?
>> YES.
TECHNOLOGY AND COMPUTERS' ROOTS ARE IN TEXTILES.
>> Stephen: WHAT DO YOU MEAN?
WELL, YOU KNOW, IN 1801 -- WE'RE GOING WAY BACK -- 1801,
YOU HAVE SOMETHING -- WHEN YOU SEE A JACQUARD, WHEN YOU SEE A
PATTERN WOVEN IN FABRIC, IT'S CALLED A JACQUARD.
TO MAKE A JACQUARD IT'S A COMPLICATED MANY THREATS THAT
LOOM TOGETHER AND, FROM THERE, IT'S DONE THROUGH PUNCH CARDS.
>> Stephen: OLD COMPUTER PUNCH CARDS.
>> THOSE PUNCH CARDS BECAME MUSIC PUNCH CARDS ON THE ROLE
AND THEN BECAME FOR EARLY COMPUTERS.
>> Stephen: SO OUR COMPUTER PROGRAMMING PUNCH CARDS HAVE
THEIR ROOT IN MAKING FABRICS?
>> IN MAKING TEXTILES AND JACQUARD FABRICS IN 1801.
>> Stephen: WOW, IS THERE GOING TO BE A TEST AT THE END?
>> WE CAN HAVE A FASHION TEST.
>> Stephen: LET'S HAVE A TEST NOW.
I WANT EVERYONE TO SEE THE DRESS.
WE HAVE A MODEL WEARING THE DRESS NOW, IF WE COULD BRING HER
OUT RIGHT NOW.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) >> Stephen: AS BEAUTIFUL AS IT
IS RIGHT NOW, IT'S EVEN MORE BEAUTIFUL WHEN WE DIM THE
LIGHTS.
>> THAT'S THE SURPRISE.
>> Stephen: JIM, CAN WE BRING IT DOWN?
(AUDIENCE REACTS) (CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
INCREDIBLE.
WELL, YOU CAN FIND ZAC POSEN DESIGNS AT zacposen.com.
ZAC POSEN, EVERYBODY.
>> THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: CONGRATULATIONS.
BEAUTIFUL DRESS.